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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BRAIN, Brein, Brien, n.1, v.1 [bren, breən]

1. n.

(1) Loud noise.Abd.14 c.1915:
We hard sic a brain aboot twa i' the mornin,.

(2) Voice.Bnff.9 c.1927:
Sic a brain that man has (said of a loud singer).Bch. 1929 W. Littlejohn Buchan Cottar Stories ii.:
Andrew Irvine, he was there, He had a “brain stoot,” And ilka tune that Massie pitched, Irvine dang him oot.Abd. 1935 (per Fif.10):
When a child cries lustily at birth, a bystander will say — “It his a gueed brain, onywye.”Ags. 1808 Jam.:
“A braw brain,” “a strong brain,” a powerful voice.

2. v. “To roar, bellow” (Abd.2 1935).Abd.(D) 1788 J. Skinner Christmass Bawing iii. in Caled. Mag. 498:
Wha was aside but auld Tam Tull, His frien's mishap he saw, Syne brein'd like ony baited bull, And wi' a thud dang twa To th' yird that day. [In the Abd. ed. 1805 of Skinner's Poems (quoted by Jam.2) the spelling is briend.]Ayr. 1913 W. Kissock Sc. and Eng. Poems (per Ayr.4):
A coo brainin'.

[The n. may be a vbl.n. from v. bray, Fr. braire, to shout (used of human beings). The mod. v. would then come from the n. In the Leges quatuor burgorum of the time of David I. (translated in the 15th cent.) we find infantem clamantem vel plorantem vel braiantem, the chylde cryand or gretand or brayand. Another suggestion is that it may come from Brain, mad, q.v., hence shouting, noisy.]

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